Shadow of a Boy
by Pieces Of Hope
Summary: And suddenly Leto was gone, he was now Fenris, wide awake from a dream, no, a memory? He wasn't sure...he could barely remember what had happened...wasn't there a girl? F!Hawke/Fenris


_This is what comes to mind when I'm driving to and from school…and I have no idea how old Fenris is, so I'm assuming he's older than Hawke. He seems like he is…but how the hell would he know after the markings? He lost his memories…duh._

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><p><strong>Shadow of a Boy<strong>

"I despise Ferelden, this place is filled with only dogs and the barbarians who care for them it seems," the young boy's Master bit as he surrounded himself with his bodyguards. The man knew any magister traveling outside of Tevinter was running a risk. But the journey needed to be made for some reason the boy had no knowledge of. His mother hushed him every time he tried to ask a question and he didn't dare query his Master himself, so he stayed hidden behind his mother's skirt, waiting to go home.

"I brought you to watch him, but I brought him to learn as well," the Master hissed as he stopped in front of a building. He grabbed the boy's shoulders and moved him off to the side, away from his mother who stood by and watched helplessly. She seemed more interested in her feet but her son knew better.

"You stand here and keep watch," he ordered and glanced around as if he was expecting something, "and if you move you will be disciplined," the magister told the boy in a sugary voice, saccharine and evil at the same time. The boy nodded his head nervously and watched as his mother and the bodyguards entered the building, the boy left alone.

He tried to stand tall like the other guards did but gave up when he felt his shoulders stiffen. He didn't know how he'd ever be strong enough to watch out for the Master, it just didn't seem possible…

By the time he had let his thoughts run wild; a high but sweet voice greeted him brightly.

"Hello," she waved, appearing beside him. Her sudden presence surprised the boy and he jumped, making her giggle.

"You," he stammered, "you shouldn't be here," he tried to be demanding, hoped to scare her off but the girl just blinked and circled around the boy as if he was something to be studied. He didn't like that very much, it made his cheeks burn.

"Well, why not?"

"Because my Master told me so," though he didn't actually say who to keep away, and the boy was sure this girl wasn't who he was concerned about. But how could he be sure? He was tempted to let out a scream and let the others inside know someone was out here, but something about the girl's green eyes made him think otherwise. Instead he figured best to just ask. "Are you here for him," he wondered, "for my Master, I mean?"

"I dunno," the little girl teased, wrinkling her nose with a giggle. "Who is your Master?"

"A powerful magister," the boy told her honestly. Though the way he described the man seemed like gloating, it wasn't. In the boy's eyes there was no one more authoritative than his Master.

"Magister?" the girl questioned, playing with the word on her tongue. "Is that like a mage?"

"It's not like a mage," the boy explained, feeling rather superior, "it is a mage." He gave her a smug grin but she barely noticed.

"Oh really?" the little girl nodded her head, confirming that she now understood. "My sister is a mage," she explained to him as if he had asked.

"Oh, mine is too," the boy told her off-handedly looking away. This girl obviously wasn't any threat to the Master, but that didn't explain why she was here, talking to him. He straightened his shoulders and turned to ask of her being there, but she broke out in a question first.

"What's your name?" she speculated now, putting her hands behind her back and leaning forward. This only caused the boy's cheeks, which were still blushed from before, to redden deeper.

"Leto…" the eye contact this girl was so focused on making was beginning to be too much for Leto to take, and he forced himself to turn away from her gaze. This didn't faze the girl at all though.

"Leto?" she repeated, making sure she was saying it right. "My name is Layla," she pointed towards herself, "Layla Hawke!"

"Okay," the boy found looking towards the ground much easier than looking at this girl. It was then that he noticed her plain brown boots, a stark contrast to his bare feet. He didn't understand why this girl, no, Layla was so interested in him. In his eyes they were on opposite sides of Thedas and after all…she was human. As soon as the thought came to mind, he put a hand to one of his pointed ears. He wanted to be sure now, if this girl was a mage too, not just her sister. Finally, gathering some courage, he looked back into Layla's eyes. He was surprised to find her still smiling at him, and if he didn't find her rather cute, she probably would have seemed a bit dopey.

"Are you a mage too?" he asked, peering at her as if her appearance would give him some answer.

"Nope," she told him simply, shaking her head. She apparently had nothing else to say on the subject.

"Well that doesn't matter," Leto nodded and grabbed her shoulders, trying to push her away. "If my Master catches me out here with you I know I'll be punished," he took a nervous glance over his shoulder but Layla just laughed.

"I'm good at hiding," she assured, "they won't catch me." Leto dropped his hand to protest but turned with wide eyes as the door began to open. It was as if the Maker was giving her a test... Leto froze in place than relaxed slightly when he saw it was his mother who had come to check on him.

"Are you talking to someone Leto?" she asked, fretting, "you should be quieter or the Master may hear you." There was a fear in her voice, Leto heard it clearly.

He glanced over to point out that he had been talking to Layla, but she had vanished as if she had never been there. He looked back to his mother and tried to give her an expression as if he had no idea what she was talking about.

His mother was unsure but commanded he be quieter before she turned back inside the building. Leto let out a sigh of relief as he stared towards the door, and when he turned back around, Layla was standing there like she hadn't just disappeared.

"Told ya so," she grinned, placing her hands on her hips. "I'm the best at hiding," she laughed loudly causing Leto to reach forward, covering her mouth with his hand.

"Hush," he ordered before letting her go. Layla gave him a surly pout before shrugging her shoulders like it didn't matter to her anyway. She walked silently, back and forth in front of Leto before stopping next to him, leaning her back against the wall.

"You know," she started in a harsh whisper, moving just a bit closer. Leto bit his lip nervously, "I think you're very handsome," she blushed then turned her head away, letting him soak that in.

The sudden confession caused the boy to cough, his black hair falling into his eyes. "For an elf?" he tried to play it off like it didn't mean as much to him as it did. Nobody other than his mother had called him handsome.

"I thought you were a Leto?" she questioned with a sarcastic tone. Her straight face only lasted a moment before her mouth broke out into a grin.

"That's not what I meant," he told her honestly, rubbing at his cheeks, trying to make the blush go away. Layla didn't notice though, instead her face had fallen and she was staring out blankly into space.

"How old are you?" she asked, glancing over at him. She couldn't tell by looking at him but he seemed older than she did, and she was already nine.

"Ten," he shrugged his shoulders and mindlessly started kicking at some loose stones on the ground. What a peculiar switch of subjects, he thought, peering at her from the corner of his eye. The smile she wore so casually before was now a deep frown as she stared at him.

"Have you had a Master all your life?" she asked, reaching for the stone Leto's foot had been playing with and tossed it away. It was as if she didn't want his attention any where else but on her.

"Of course…" and it was the truth. Where else would he go if not home to Tevinter, to work for the Master, and grow up and be the bodyguard he wanted him to be? His path was set and it was the only life he believed he would ever know.

Layla said nothing, just nodded her head as if those two words gave her all the answers she needed. She didn't know Leto at all; at first look he was a cute little boy she was interested in, but something about him made her heart feel very heavy. All she could do was look into his eyes. They were big and sad, they looked a little bit like a Mabari pup when he begged. She didn't want his eyes to look that gloomy anymore, but when she opened her mouth to speak a voice broke through before her words could.

"Layla!" they both looked off in the direction where the sound had come from, and the girl suddenly stood up, surprising Leto. "Sister, if you don't come home now, Carver gets your dessert!" The way the younger girl spoke was teasing but somewhat deadly serious.

"It's my sister," Layla told him off-handedly as she made her way towards her. She stopped and looked over at Leto and smiled.

"I hope I meet you again one day," she told him with a beam. She waited for Leto to say goodbye back to her but he just indifferently shrugged and nodded his head. Layla rolled her eyes then looked off briefly before running towards him, kissing his cheek, and disappearing…

After she vanished it seemed the world grew darker and darker before it had completely vanished… and suddenly Leto was gone, he was now Fenris, wide awake from a dream, no, a memory? He wasn't sure. He sat up slowly as to not shake the bed and Hawke's Mabari lifted his head, almost asking if his master's companion was okay. Fenris gave the dog a small smile despite himself and turned, looking over towards Hawke. Her back was towards him in her sleep and her bare shoulder peeked out from beneath the blankets. As Fenris moved to tuck her in, the woman stirred and awoke, smiling at him.

"Why are you up?" she asked, sitting up. The blankets fell around her waist and she stretched, curling her legs into her chest as she looked tenderly at the man she loved, the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with.

"I had a dream," he explained, and for some reason that caused Hawke to smile at him. She moved his arm to drape her shoulders and cuddled into him, resting her head on his bare chest.

"Was it a nightmare?" she wondered with a soft voice, "is that why you woke up?"

"No, I do not think so," he mused quietly to himself, he could barely remember what had happened. A girl, wasn't there? He scrunched his forehead trying to remember which only caused Hawke to laugh at his attempt at concentration.

"It already faded that fast?" she asked with a lightness in her voice, she reached a hand towards his white hair and stroked it tenderly, softly. Her eyes drooped with the sleep that dared to take her at any moment.

"Maybe it wasn't meant to be remembered," he told her but it did little. Her hand moved to hold Fenris closer towards herself and her eyes slowly closed. Her breathing went even and quiet. Fenris wasn't the least bit surprised and smiled at her, using his free arm to cover her with the blanket, tucking her in.

"Goodnight, Layla…" he whispered, to which she mumbled a reply in her sleep, clutching to Fenris as if he was a child's stuffed toy.

As Fenris closed his eyes to join his love in sleep, he couldn't help but wonder if he knew who Leto was, if he remembered the boy he used to be, what he would think of his life now. His only family now was this woman and her dog. And if Hawke had her way, which she usually did, she'd give him a child as well.

There was no set path for the two of them; no future carved in stone, all he knew was this is exactly where he was supposed to be.

_He could sleep well knowing that, and perhaps Leto could too, as well._


End file.
